Visitations (16)

The library wasn’t very popular.

But I didn’t know who could be watching, so without parting from my briefcase, I headed for the history book corner.

Once upon a time, back when I commuted to law school, I’d abandon my bag and reference books on the table, and go off to search for something else, but at this point, if anything happened to my documents, my attorney standing was at risk.

A few volumes to start. I chose out some books on the world war, and left them on the table. Perhaps because the heating was working, I felt a slight drowsiness, but pushing my fingers against my eyebrows, I forcefully woke myself.

… Anyways, let’s look into it.

Even if it was fifty years ago, that war was the most recent major war, and the documents pertaining to the demon lord vs. alliance were extensive, so this time, I mainly picked out books offering the general just, and books about the relevant laws.

But even so, the contents were bulky, and with every flip of the page, my head bobbed as I kept myself from sinking to sleep; however, I did somehow manage to grasp roughly what was written.

The ten-year war, to sum it all up, was a war of invasion.
Publically, it was expressed as the battle for liberation of demi-humans who were abused almost like slaves at the time, but the truth was almost the exact opposite.

In the first place, that was a poor choice of words. If you wanted to call them enslaved, it’s true it sounded as if there were restriction placed on their human rights, but if you looked at  history in the longer term, they had already been granted their rights at that point fifty years ago.

Where in the world would you find slaves that get unemployment benefits? In the first place, the moment they had freedom to change occupation, I’m sure you couldn’t call them slaves anymore.

If you want to travel eight hundred years up the stream, there was a time demi-humans were unjustly exploited as laborers, but most problems were already resolved to a greater extent fifty years ago.

Of course, it seems there was some discord in the relations of employer and employee, but that’s still there now.

I mean, even I was dragged through hell by my former boss.

But that era was seen as a single turning point in the world’s flow, it seems. Because from that period, a rapid development of magic and science had begun.

Up to that point, making scientific precision equipment was the most they could do, but the development of motion engines gradually proceeded, and the science culture rapidly started evolving.

It was the time a change came to science and magic.

Things impossible to that point were happening. Perhaps the people of the time had felt that characteristic change of era first-hand.

People adaptable to change would give the appropriate response regardless of the era. Those with foresight would take the first step to turn it into profit.

The demon lord skillfully picked up the flow of the times, and started moving behind the scenes.

There was a group of demi-humans with dissatisfaction towards society from the start. Among them, many only wished for a foe to take out the anger and stress they’d been building up on. Maybe that’s all there was to it.

But among the demi-humans there were those hiding powerful strength in themselves, and taking in those sorts brainwashing them, and making them allies of absolute obedience, the demon lord rose.

His small gathering eventually took in many people, before long forming a single organization. A gathering of simply angry demi-humans formed a powerful army, finally declaring war on the world.

Why did they raise a war? That cause is still unclear.

However, one thing alone was clear… the demi-humans were frightfully strong. To the human race lost in its sense of peace, the army with magic was a threat.

The birdmen soaring through the skies, and the giants towering tens of meters… the human armies couldn’t stand up to them, and neither sword or gun would work on the magi boasting powerful magic.

But even if that’s how it ended up, the first incident was merely some minor strife in the corner of a small country.

As he continued his war, the demon lord began taking in more numbers. He made comrades of demi-humans all over the globe, eventually manipulating enough power to take on the world.

The state of the war where the alliance once thought they were the superiors was off from their expectations, and it all divulged down to a muddy bog of blood upon blood.

By the time such a battle had raged on for ten years, the demon lord was all-too-easily slain by some hero.

With when, where and how he was born left unknown, that demon lord who suddenly became a threat to the world vanished unbeknownst to man.

So in the military tribunal of the post-war international signatory, it all ended with them unable to persecute the ringleader, the demon lord.

Of course, in the case the demon lord was still alive, a retrial would definitely give him death.

But that’s only in the case the alliance apprehended him.

This was the constitutional land of Grimbeld, and without taking part in the war, it was the only non-member nation of the alliance. With complete non-intervention from foreign powers as its moto, even if it pressed the crimes that happened in its border, it cared not for any sins overseas, nor would it use them as a reason for unjust arrests.

That’s how it was. The demon lord, in this country, he was an existence without the slightest meaning or worth.

I closed the book.

To hell with demon lord. How idiotic.

It’s true this demon lord seemed crafty and inhumane. His starting of the war didn’t have any particular just cause, it seems.

Of course, even if there was enough reason, I’m not saying it would’ve been fine for him to start it. But what about him?

If I searched around, I’m sure I could find more detailed data on his misdeeds.
Genocide, torture, human experimentation… but I didn’t have the mind to search out those pointless documents.

In this country, the demon lord was still innocent, and already dead.

Kill him? A hero? What era do you think this is?

“Really, why did I take up this case?”

I suddenly felt fatigued. I lay my face on the table, and as my eyes closed, I heard an ‘excuse me’ from behind.

Turning around, I saw the resident librarian.

“It’s almost time to close. Do you want to sign up for a library card?”

She pointed to the forms stacked in the center of the table, but I politely declined.

I had to go to the courthouse tomorrow to request a transfer of the court-appointed defense. After that, a meeting with the defendant.

The more I dug into the incident, the heavier it felt, and I felt that meeting the defendant would prove to be a troublesome thing indeed.

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3 Responses to Visitations (16)

  1. ryuutobi says:

    He made comrades of demi-humans all over the glove, (globe)

    the demon lord was all-too-easily slain by some her. (hero)


  2. Metroxylon says:

    Just saying this Gribeld is all too similar with a certain country that supply the guard of a certain man of certain worldly and divine significance.
    And the ten year war and the demon lord is all too similar with a certain war and their certain uniquely moustached man.
    And the magi is all too similar with a certain people the certain uniquely moustached man hated.


  3. Samuel Andersen says:

    However, one thins alone: thins –> thing


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